Murder trial begins for son who may have killed father

From staff reports

Lawyers started questioning possible jury candidates Tuesday afternoon in Judge Ed Broussard’s courtroom as the trial of Paxton Trahan is underway in the Vermilion Parish Courthouse.

Trahan is on trial for allegedly murdering his father, James Paul Trahan, at the beginning of April of 2008.

Trahan, along with Brady Harrington, were arrested by the Vermilion Parish Sheriff Office on April 13, 2008.

They were both charged with second degree murder.

The crime occurred south of Kaplan. The two men allegedly shot the victim and then burned the body in the house. After the body was burned, they allegedly brought it to the end of Pine Island Road in Forked Island and dumped the body into the water that was only three feet deep.

Trahan’s court-appointed attorney is Burton Guidry.

The assistant district attorney for the case is Ted Ayo.

In a room of about 100 possible jurors, the first 21 were questioned Tuesday by Broussard, Ayo and Guidry.

As of 4 p.m. that afternoon, two of those first 21 were excused from the courtroom. Jury selection is set to continue Wednesday.